Dr. Terry Simpson, MD
Not yet claimedWeight loss doctor · Physician (MD)
Camarillo, CA
Board-certified general and bariatric surgeon in Camarillo, California, one of the first surgeons certified in culinary medicine, who spends his public life debunking diet fads and supplement claims with the actual evidence.
About Dr. Terry Simpson, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Terry Simpson is a general and bariatric (weight loss) surgeon listed at 760 Las Posas Rd, Camarillo, CA, with practice listings in Ventura, CA, and earlier in the Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ area. He is listed with Affiliated Surgical Associates and has a hospital affiliation with St. John's Regional Medical Center (Dignity Health).
He earned his MD at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1986 and completed his surgical internship, residency, and chief residency at Virginia Mason Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle between 1986 and 1991. He says he has performed weight loss surgery since 1991 and became a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist in 2017.
On his own website, Dr. Simpson describes himself as retired from operative practice. He says he currently works part time in wound care and serves as a board member of Southcentral Foundation, an Alaska Native-led health system.
He is widely known for health media. He hosts the podcasts "Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson" and "Dr. Terry Simpson - The Unfiltered MD" (launched 2025), writes a Substack newsletter, and has a large social following, including about 1.2 million TikTok followers and about 249,000 Facebook likes. His stated focus is reviewing health claims against scientific evidence.
CMS Open Payments records list $6,604.40 in industry payments to him across 2 records from 2021 to 2025, mostly from Withings, Inc. ($6,500) with a smaller amount from Medtronic, Inc. ($104.40). Payments from industry to doctors are common and legal; they are reported publicly so patients can see them.
- Medical school and residency
- MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1986, followed by surgical internship, residency, and chief residency at Virginia Mason in Seattle (1986-1991). doximity.com
- Weight loss surgery experience
- He reports performing weight-loss surgery since 1991 and founded Affiliated Surgical Associates. terrysimpsonmd.wixsite.com
- Culinary medicine certification
- Self-reports becoming a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist in April 2017, an approach that combines nutrition and cooking with medical care. 234slim.com
- Hospital affiliation
- Listed as affiliated with St. John's Regional Medical Center, part of Dignity Health. dignityhealth.org
- Current roles
- His website states he is retired from operative practice, works part time in wound care, and is a board member of Southcentral Foundation in Alaska. terrysimpson.com
- Health podcasts
- Hosts "Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson" and, since 2025, "Dr. Terry Simpson - The Unfiltered MD." podcasts.apple.com
- Large social media following
- His TikTok account shows about 1.2 million followers and 6.9 million likes, with the bio "Slicing Through Hype: Surgeon-Backed, Science-Served Health." tiktok.com
- Public positions on medications
- Has spoken publicly in defense of statins and GLP-1 medications in a podcast interview. theproof.com
- Industry payments reported
- CMS Open Payments lists $6,604.40 total across 2 records for 2021-2025, mainly from Withings, Inc. ($6,500) and Medtronic, Inc. ($104.40). dignityhealth.org
- Research background
- Bios describe work in molecular virology research before his surgical career, including co-authored peer-reviewed work. theproof.com
Worth knowing
- His bios and directory listings describe him as board certified and as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), but this could not be confirmed through a primary source such as the American Board of Surgery or the American College of Surgeons. Healthgrades states that it does not verify specialty credentials. healthgrades.com
- His own website says he is retired from operative practice, while several older practice websites listing him as a practicing weight loss surgeon are still online, which may be confusing for patients seeking surgery. terrysimpson.com
- Two different Instagram handles (@drterrysimpson and @drterrysimpsonmd) appear in his own materials, so patients may need to check which account is current. instagram.com
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$6,604
2 payments
| 2021 | $104 |
| 2022 | $0 |
| 2023 | $0 |
| 2024 | $0 |
| 2025 | $6,500 |
Top payers
- Withings, Inc.$6,500
- Medtronic, Inc.$104
Payment types
- Consulting Fee$6,500
- Food and Beverage$104
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: terrysimpson.com · terrysimpson.com · doximity.com · dignityhealth.org · healthgrades.com · doctor.webmd.com · theweightlossdoctor.com · 234slim.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
Terry Simpson MD
760 Las Posas Rd, Suite C
Camarillo, CA 93010
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